When searching for answers, consider Google Books: http://books.google.com/. Google Book Search offers a quick and easy way to search the fulltext of over 7 million books, yielding easy-to-assimilate, authoritative information that directly answers the user's question. Give it a try next time a usual web search fails to yield specific answers.
To use Google Books efficiently, try these advanced search strategies:
· Add subject headings to limit the search. For instance, when searching for information for younger users, try: subject:"juvenile nonfiction" (You can also click the "Advanced Book Search" link and enter "juvenile nonfiction" in the Subject field in the bottom white section of the page.)
· Limit the search to "Limited Preview and Full View" or simply "Full View" to maximize the information that the student can use.
· Remember that the archives of many popular magazines have been made available in their entirety. You can limit your search to just "Magazines" in the "Content" section of the Advanced Book Search.
· To quickly direct the user to a specific location in the page you're viewing, go to the Search box in the left-hand sidebar of the page and type a phrase from the middle of a relevant sentence. The right-hand side of the page gives blue markings indicating where the search results are found in the document (the color changes to orange for the result you are currently viewing). If you mouse over the marking, it will display a brief excerpt of the text that can be copied and pasted to the patron. For example:
Page 109
The object of Hacky Sack was to keep the bag in the air, using the knees and the feet, without letting the bag touch the ground or the player's upper body. ...
· Alternatively, you can use the Search box in the left-hand sidebar as a "notepad." Simply type all of the relevant words into that box. Then, instead of clicking the "Search" button, you can highlight all of the text that you typed (Ctrl-A), copy it (Ctrl-C), and paste it (Ctrl-V) to the patron.
· Use the "View All" feature in the yellow horizontal bar that appears after you use the Search box in the left-hand sidebar. That lets you see a snippet of all of the results at once; you can then click the page link to view the page in its entirety.
Here is an example of a Google Books Search which provides specific information to a student:
Patron: on my paper it says that your cousin was a tea merchant when the sugar act was passed. Decscribe how your cousin avoided the tax and what would happend if caught?
Librarian: Good evening, [patron name]!
Patron: hi
Librarian: My name is [Librarian name]. I'm a reference librarian with the Question Point chat service. Your librarians have asked our librarians to staff this 24-hour service when they are unavailable. I'm reading your question now to see how I can help you.
Patron: k
Librarian: I'll search and see what I can find regarding that!
Librarian: What grade level are you in school? Just so I have an idea how complex the information I send should be.
Patron: 8th
Librarian: Thanks much!
Librarian: I'm looking over this website to see if it has what you need. You may want to read at the same time.
Librarian: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sugaract.htm
Patron: um this doesnt help
Librarian: I just concluded the same thing! Ha!
Patron: what??
Librarian: I'll keep looking! Thanks for your help, it's good when we review these together.
Patron: where is the consequences part
Librarian: No, I'm saying I agree with you. This doesn't answer your question. sorry.
Patron: oh no its ok lol
Librarian: Thanks! Looking for more information!
Patron: k
[Librarian does Google Book Search for these keywords: sugar tax 1764 penalty]
Librarian: You might take a look at this:
Librarian: page 60.
Patron: k 1 min
Librarian: If I'm reading this correctly, it looks like "failure to comply could result in the forfeiture of both cargo and ship."
Patron: k which paragraph
Librarian: It begins "Equally important" on page 60.
Patron: i know which sentance
Librarian: I have another page I can send you to when you are ready to look at it. Just let me know.
Patron: k
Patron: im ready
Librarian: page 284.
Librarian: Under the Sugar Act, if a seizure was made at sea, one-half the value went to the crew of the vessel making the seizure.
Librarian: It looks like from these sites that you could 1) lose your boat and cargo, and...
Patron: i dont understand whta you mean
Librarian: 2) 1/2 of what was captured from your ship could be taken by those who caught you with the sugar.
Librarian: Does that make sense?
Patron: can u rephrase number 1
Patron: i mean 2
Librarian: If your ship was caught with the sugar, then those who caught you with it, could keep 1/2 of it.
Patron: k thnx
[Patron ended chat]
Librarian: You are welcome, I hope that helped!
Librarian: Thanks for using this service!
If you have comments, or have a suggestion for a Quality Tip, please post a comment to this blog or email [email protected]
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